Solar Panel Battery Storage & Backup in Southern California

At TENCO SOLAR, we consider solar batteries an essential component for the smooth and reliable operation of most solar panel systems. They help ensure the lights stay on after dark and when the skies are cloudy and gray. While solar panels will continue to generate electricity when it’s cloudy, they do so at a considerably diminished capacity. Solar batteries solve this problem by storing energy collected when the sun is shining for use when it’s not.

Solar Battery Operation

When sunlight hits your solar panels, it is converted into DC electricity. The electricity is transferred to the solar battery within the DC-coupled storage system, which is stored for later use. Then, when needed, the DC electricity is processed through an inverter and converted into AC electricity to power your appliances, lights, etc. It’s a simple, effective, and efficient method of storing energy for later use.

In an AC-coupled system, the electricity goes through the inverter for conversion into AC electricity before entering the house again. It then goes from the home into the battery, yet again when going back into the home. While complicated, the advantage of an AC system is that it can store power from both your solar panels and the power grid, which helps ensure you can always charge the battery so that you never run out of power.

Lithium-ion and lead-acid are the two most common solar batteries we install. Lithium-ion batteries can store more energy for longer and have a significantly higher depth of discharge, which means that more of the battery can be used. Conversely, lead-acid batteries are nearly identical to the batteries in your automobile. While less expensive, they have a lower depth of discharge and a shorter operational life span, making them less effective and more costly in the long run. 

TENCO SOLAR can help you choose the right battery for your system. Contact us today at (888) 648-9759 for more information!

Benefits Of Solar Batteries

You won’t likely need all the power your solar panels generate during the day, especially when the sun is at its brightest or when you are away from home. You can significantly reduce your reliance on the power grid when production drops or evening falls by storing the energy you generate.

Further, solar batteries help shield you against power outages, including blackouts and brownouts. When these occur, and the grid fails, your solar batteries can provide the additional power you need to keep security alarms armed, lights operational, and appliances functional.

And unlike emergency generators, solar batteries are 100% silent. This feature means that their operation won’t disrupt your sleep or require the installation of additional equipment or the use of the power grid to keep the electricity flowing through your home.

Benefits include:

• Customers can make their homes more resilient during a power outage or a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event.
• Pairing your battery with solar can enable you to recharge during the day to extend your home’s backup power.
• If you’re on a time-of use-rate or home charging rate, your battery can charge when electricity is cheaper and discharge electricity for home use when electricity from the grid is more expensive. When paired with solar, a battery can help you get the most bill savings under Net Energy Metering and optimize the carbon-reduction impacts from your solar system.

TENCO SOLAR Recommends Solar Batteries

Roughly 50% of the days in the region are considered “sunny” days. However, nearly one-third are considered partly cloudy, and the remainder is typically cloudy. In other words, there is a wide variation throughout the year through which you must navigate to enjoy reliable power in your home. Installing a solar battery system gives you a reliable hedge against Mother Nature’s moods. Solar panels coupled with battery backups are cost-effective investments that both residential homeowners and commercial enterprises in Southern California benefit from installing.

Contact TENCO SOLAR at (888) 648-9759 to learn more about the advantages of installing solar batteries.